2. digital
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The plight of SACD....

Venturing into a local Audio Supermarket chain the other day...I found the latest advancement in digital audio relegated to a cheesy Kiosk in the very back of the store...complete with a Bose cube set-up...and the new Stones hybrid of "Got Live If you want it" (a dismal live recording regardless of format) blaring to a very disinterested public...no wonder average Joe aint buyin'...

Even with Sony "dumbing down" SACD/dvd players to the sub $500 level...without the software catalog to support it...and with the majority of the public A)satisfied with current redbook sound and B)not possessing even moderate midfi audio sytems to hear the sonic benefits...it appears SACD is going to be the next DAT commerical failure...ditto for DVD-Audio...these new products are not "market driven"...they are being forced on consumers...

The majority are not audiophiles let alone audio enthusiasts...accurate or improved sonics do not play an important role in their lives...redbook became dominant because its main competitor at the time was not the LP but the pre-recorded cassette...a dreadful format made worse by Dolby B...the Compact Disc won out but any digital format at the time would have...it offered convenience,portability,and eventually...compatability...

As someone who has invested a small amount in a SACD player and software...and was one of the first on my block to have a CD player...I have waited almost 20yrs for a digital
format that gives a hi-end analog system a run for its money...that day is both here and gone...I predict that SACD will remain a fringe format...similiar to DAT...in that
it will live on in professional applications...and have a small loyal following that truly appreciates its greatness...heres to hoping Im wrong...
128x128phasecorrect
socrates
247 posts
 
A friend has a Pioneer Elite universal DVD/SACD/DVDA/CD player. He took a look inside and saw "Sony" labels on many parts. Leave SACD to Sony, indeed...!
tweekerman
473 posts
 
On the "us" vs "them" issue, there are very few SACD owners in the world. Heck people are using there cd burners to get more music in their collection. They ain't interested in "super-duper" recorded cd's. Now as far as the vinyl vs cd issue, i hear very little difference in 2 comparision auditions. Yea, yea, "what TT did you hear", the difference was very very minimial in the 2. I prefered the cd sound. Now its true certain digital players tend to breakdown. Vinyl players need new needles. Trade off. SACD is a rich folk's new toy.
jrwr7
211 posts
 
Hey Twl,

I'm a CD guy and I applaud your post and commend you on the eloquence with which you have handle this attack. I am not a big analog fan but, then again, the last time I listened to vinyl was on my Techniques TT through a Nikko receiver, circa 1981. I would love to experience a good analog rig and I may put one together in the future. For now, alas, I am too lazy and content with the sound and convenience of CDs. Now, that said, I would never throw stones at you for your choice........John
kana813
956 posts
 
I've tried both SACD and DVD-A player/systems.

I feel DVD-A is closer to analog with a great sense of dynamic range.

I haven't tried or am I interested in the multichannel ability of either format.

My local Borders doesn't stock a sinle disk in either format. Unless there a major increase in available,both formats will fade into the sunset like surround sound SQ and CD4.

joeavid
47 posts
 
Hi Troglodyt let's analize your post...

Have fun with 16/44.1.(let's start my rant with some sarcasm)

"You already got the best you're gonna get. The joke was played 22 years ago. Alot fell for it, and some didn't. I didn't think the joke was funny in 1981, and I don't think it's funny now."(Preaching to the ignorant masses)

"The fact is, you wanted your "Perfect sound forever", and you got it(?). You scorned the vinyl world, and embraced the digital devil. Now you have to live with it."
YOU know the future and have a disdain for people who embrace technological change)

"Just how many times oversampling will it take to convince you that it just isn't going to happen? Oversampling, upsampling, downsampling, interpolation, no upsampling, jitter reducers, digital lenses, 1-bit, 20 bit, 24 bit, DSD, tube dacs, green pens, Buddhist chants. It just is not going to happen, folks. Time to wake up from the bad dream."
(Our Saviour Twl)

"I know this is hard medicine, but what do you think us vinyl guys have been having to swallow for over 20 years? We've watched all the music dry up, and go to digital formats. We've seen cost increases and less selection of our analog gear. We've borne the brunt of scorn from our fellow audiophiles. It hasn't been easy for us, but we've kept the vinyl flame alive for all of you, so that when this point came, there would be somewhere to go. If we hadn't done that, there would be no analog refuge from this digital crap-storm."
(Oh poor me ,I can claim poverty and intellectual superiority all at the same time )

IF YOU PROVOKE EXPECT A MIRRORED RESPONSE.
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